Frameless fascia-soffit assembly

ABSTRACT

THIS DISCLOSURE RELATES TO AN ARDHITECTURAL FASCIA-SOFFIT ASSEMBLY WHICH IS FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF SELF-SUPPORTING PRE-FINISHED PANELS AND PROVIDING A MONOLITHIC EXTERNAL APPERANCE WITHOUT INTERNAL FRAMING. THE VERTICAL FASCIA PANELS ARE SECURED ADJACENT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO THE SUPPORTING STRUCTRE AND THE SOFFIT PANELS ARE SLIDABLE SUPPORTED BETWEEN BRACKETS SECURED TO THE FREE END OF THE FASCIA PANEL AND THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT, PERMITTING QUICK ASSEMBLY WITHOUT SKILLED LABOR.   D R A W I N G

March 6, 1973 C 1 DE LANGE 3,719,011

FRAMEIJESS ASCIA-SOFFIT ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 26, 1971 o A d# G a 9 ff i n u n 1 L 22 1 la 1 .9

INVENTOR.

CORNELIS J. DELANGE. BY

"\-- CULLEN, SETTLE, SLOMAN a cANmR.

ATT'YS.

United States Patent O 3,719,011 FRAMELESS FASCIA-SONET ASSEMBLY Cornelis ll. De Lange, Farmington, Mich., assigner to Cement Enamel Development, Inc. Filed Oct. 26, 1971, Ser. No. 191,983 Int. Cl. Etllb 2/88 U.S. Cl. 52--73 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to an architectural fascia-soffit assembly which is formed of a plurality of self-supporting pre-finished panels and providing a monolithic external appearance without internal framing. The vertical fascia panels are secured adjacent their upper ends to the supporting structure and the sofiit panels are slidably supported between brackets secured to the free end of the fascia panel and the structural support, permitting quick assembly without skilled labor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This application is related to my copending application for United States patent entitled Panel Wall and Method for Forming Same, Ser. No. 15,599, filed Mar. 2, 1970, now Pat. No. 3,621,635, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

The improved fascia-soflit assembly of this invention is preferably formed of pre-finished panels which provide a monolithic appearance, free of exposed fasteners. The fascia-sofiit assembly has a built in framing system that eliminates the need for any field-installed support framing. The improved interlocking support system `.vill meet virtually all structural and wind-load requirements, while reducing the weight factor to a minimum, as compared to previously known systems. The panels utilized in the fasciasoiiit assembly may be surfaced in a variety of colors and textures offering substantial architectural versatility.

The improved fascia-sofiit assembly includes a vertical fascia panel which is secured adjacent the upper end to a structural support and a horizontal soft panel which is supported between the free end of the fascia panel and the structural support. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a first bracket is secured to the fascia panel adjacent the free lower end and a second bracket is secured to the structural support, generally parallel to and spaced from the first bracket. The horizontal soiit panel is provided with a bracket adjacent the opposed ends and is supportingly secured to the first and second brackets between the fascia panel and the structural support, providing an enclosed assembly. The disclosed bracket assembly includes a generally J-shaped channel which opens upwardly to receive the bracket secured to the sofiit panel. The soflit panel may then be slidably received on the fascia panel bracket and the supporting structure bracket for quick and easy installation. In the preferred embodiment, the brackets are secured to the fascia and soffit panels prior to final finishing, eliminating the requirement for skilled A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of one embodiment of the frameless fascia-soilit assembly of this invention; and

3,719,011 Patented Mar. 6, 1973 ICC IFIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken in the direction of view arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBQDI'MENTS The frameless fascia-sofiit assembly 20, illustrated in FIG. l, includes a generally planar Ivertical fascia panel 22 and ahorizontal sofiit panel 24 which together present an enclosed monolithic appearance. The structural assembly may include a plurality of coplanar fascia and soit panels, as shown in FIG. l, which are disposed in substantially abutting edge-to-edge relation. In the disclosed embodiment of the structural assembly, the fascia panel 22 is secured adjacent the upper end to the structural support, as shown by the wood blocking 26, as by studs or other suitable fastenings. ln the disclosed embodiment, the fascia panel is first secured to a metal framing member or channel 3l), which is then secured to the wood blocking. It will be understood that the fascia panel may be secured to the support by any suitable means, including brackets, or the like.

The horizontal sofiit panel 24 is supported between the support wall 28 and the free end 32 of the fascia panel, in the disclosed embodiment, by a pair of bracket assemblies 34 and 36, respectively. The bracket assembly 34 is shown in more detail in FG. 2. The bracket assembly includes a support channel or strip 38 having an upwardly extending lip portion 40 providing a generally U-shaped or l-shaped bracket, as shown in FIG. 2. The bracket 38 may be secured to the support structure 28 by any suitable means, including screws 42 or the like. The panel strip or bracket 44 includes a downwardly angled lip or hook portion 46 which is received within the support channel 38 to supportingly retain the sofiit panel 24. The panel strip may also be secured to the soflit panel 24 by any suitable means, including rivets d8, which will be described in more detail hereinbelow. Ihe bracket assembly 36 may be similar to the bracket assembly 34 and includes a J-shaped bracket 5()` which is secured by riveting or the like to the free end 32 of the fascia panel and a panel bracket 52 which is secured to the soit panel 24, as shown in FIG. 2.

The fascia-soiiit assembly of this invention is particularly adapted to provide a light-weight architectural enclosure which is solid or monolithic in appearance, without visible external fastening. The panels are preferably pre-finished at the manufacturing facility to eliminate finishing at the building site and to eliminate the need of skilled labor. The panels must be sufficiently heavy to be self-supporting and to meet the structural and wind-load requirements of external building standards. The panels in the disclosed embodiment may be preiinished as disclosed in my above referenced copending application and shown in FIG. 2, wherein the panel includes a relatively rigid substrate 54, such as cement-asbestos sheeting or the like, which is finished with a suitable coating. In the disclosed embodiment, the substrate is finished lwith an aggregate coating 56 which may be formed of small sized stones, pebbles, marble chips, or the like, joined together and bonded to the substrate with a suitable resin binder. Such binders and the aggregate coating are conventional and, hence, no further description thereof is required.

It will be noted from FIG. 2, that the aggregate coating 56 may be provided after the bracket 44 is secured to the panel S4, covering the headed portion of the rivet 418 and presenting a clean exterior surface. The disclosed embodiment of the fascia-sofiit assembly may include a conventional flashing 58, which encloses the joint between the fascia panel 22 and the supporting Wood blocking 2'6, and suitable stitfening members 60 may be provided, as required.

-It can be seen from the above description of the frameless fascia-soffit assembly, that the disclosed embodiment of the invention may be assembled at the building site without the requirement of skilled labor. The soi-lit panel brackets 44 and 52 and the fascia panel bracket 50 are preferably secured to the panels before the iinal iinishing, eliminating visible fastenings in the iinished assembly. The fascia panel is then secured to the supporting structure 26 by studs, screws or the like. The bracket channel 3'8 is then secured to the wall 28, generally parallel to the bracket 50 on the fascia panel. The soiiit panel 24 is then merely slid in place, interlocking the brackets, as shown in FIG. 2 and described above.

I claim:

1. An architectural fascia-Softit assembly, comprising: a generally vertical fascia panel secured to a structural support and having a free lower end, a rst bracket secured to said fascia panel adjacent said free lower end, a second bracket secured to said structural support generally parallel to and spaced opposite to said rst bracket, and a generally horizontal soiiit panel having a bracket means adjacent opposed ends, supportingly secured to said iirst and second brackets on said bracket means and supporting said horizontal soiiit panel between said free lower end of said fascia panel and said structural support, said panels providing an enclosed fascia-soiiit assembly.

2. The architectural fascia-soliit assembly deiined in claim 1, characterized in that said first and second brackets are upwardly opening generally U-shaped brackets releasably supporting said bracket means for quick assembly and removal.

3. 'Ilhe architectural fascia-soit assembly defined in claim 1, characterized in that said panels are pre-iinished structural panels including a substrate and a coating concealing external fastenings.

4. The architectural fascia-soiiit assembly defined in claim 1, characterized in that said rst and second brackets are upwardly opening channels and said bracket means includes a downwardly extending lip portion which is slidably received within said channels permitting sliding adjustment of the sot panel after assembly.

5. The architectural fascia-soit assembly defined in to rigidly retain said soiit pia-nel in the architectural asis a pre-{inished structural panel having suiiicient weight to rigidly retain said sotlit panel in the architectural assembly.

6. The architectural fascia-sortit assembly defined in claim 5, characterized in that said panels include a rigid substrate of cement-asbestos sheeting and a finish coating.

7. The architectural fascia-soft assembly deiined in claim 1, characterized in that said bracket means are channels, including a hook-shaped portion, permanently secured to said soft panel adjacent the opposed ends, prior to iinishing.

8. The architectural fascia-soit assembly deined in claim 7, characterized in that said rst bracket is permanently secured to said fascia panel prior to finishing.

9. The architectural fascia-soiiit assembly defined in claim 1, characterized in that said fascia panel is secured to said structural support adjacent the upper end.

10. The artchitectural fascia-soilit assembly defined in 'claim 1, characterized in that said architectural assembly includes a plurality of coplanar fascia and soiiit panels in substantially abutting edge-to-edge relation forming a substantially enclosed structure monolithic in appearance without internal framing and said soflit panel is slida-bly mounted on said brackets to permit adjustment after assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,007,842 7/1935 Whiteside 52p-486 X 3,248,836 5/1966l Monk et al 52-235 X 3,344,566 10/1967 Miles et al. 5294 3,507,079 4/1970 George 52-94 X 3,621,635 11/1971 De Lange 52-235 PRICE C. FAW, IR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

